Recent Submissions: 2011 April 1-3

[owlice]

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Please post your images here.

Please see this thread before posting images; posting images demonstrates your
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Thank you!
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[owlice]

Easter Island Moais at Night
http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/
Copyright: Babak Sedehi
[attachment=2]img_0430-panorama-1.jpg[/attachment]

Milky Way and Moon
http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/
Copyright: Tunç Tezel
[attachment=1]kasabamilkymoonpan.jpg[/attachment]

M106: Seyfert Type Galaxy
http://www.starkeeper.it/M106RC.htm
Copyright: Leonardo Orazi

Click to view full size image

Reflection Nebulae in Orion (M78 and NGC 2071)
http://www.universethroughalens.com/
Copyright: Sanjeev Sivarulrasa
[attachment=0]M78 1030mm 3hrs 7 Nov 2010 Sivarulrasa.jpg[/attachment]

[Efrain Morales]

Saturn less then 96hrs from oposition when the main image was taken showing the mid section of the Serpent storm at the NPR. Also trace of the enke division could be seen and the ring still bright from the seeliger effect since last week. Also opositions from the last six years from present (left) clockwise to bottom left.

[owlice]

Horsehead Area of Orion
Copyright: Steve Porter
[attachment=7]5D Horsehead cn.jpg[/attachment]

M74: Grand Design Spiral Galaxy
http://pixinsight.com/gallery/M74-CAHA/en.html
Credit: Vicent Peris (OAUV), José Luis Lamadrid (CEFCA), Jack Harvey (SSRO), Steve Mazlin (SSRO), Ivette Rodríguez (PTeam), Oriol Lehmkuhl (PTeam), Juan Conejero (PixInsight). Copyright: Pleiades Astrophoto S.L.
[attachment=6]M74.jpg[/attachment]

Sunset over Kansas
http://members.cox.net/yourstars/Sunset-8296.jpg
Copyright: Mike Myer
[attachment=5]MyerSunset.jpg[/attachment]

Moon and Venus over the Rhodopi Mountains
Copyright: Pencho Markishki
[attachment=4]19.jpg[/attachment]

Panorama of Cerro Tololo
Copyright: Jillian Bornak
[attachment=3]tololo gray clouds.jpg[/attachment]

Melotte 15
Credit and copyright: Jim Misti, data acquisition; Louie Atalasidis, processing
[attachment=2]melotte-15.jpg[/attachment]

Seeliger Effect and NED Wake
http://saturn.cstoneind.com
Copyright: Christopher Go
[attachment=1]saturn20110330.jpg[/attachment]

NGC 6872 and IC 4970
http://www.gemini.edu/node/11625
Credit: Sydney Girls High School Astronomy Club, Travis Rector (University of Alaska, Anchorage), Ángel López-Sánchez (Australian Astronomical Observatory/Macquarie University), and the Australian Gemini Office

Click to view full size image

Anticrepusuclar Rays
Copyright: Don McCullough
[attachment=0]dscf4491.jpg[/attachment]

[StefanoDeRosa]

Moon and Venus over the Langhe
http://ofpink.wordpress.com/
Copyright: Stefano De Rosa

Click to view full size image

Click to view full size image

The two images show the March 31, 2011 conjunction between a waning crescent Moon and the blazing planet Venus. I took the pictures from La Morra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Morra), a village some 60 kilometers from Turin with a superb view over the Langhe (the area in the Northwest of Italy that is world-wide famous for its wines. You can find a zoomable panoramic picture of the Langhe I took few minutes before sunrise here: http://zoom.it/PW1i). You can also find other images of the session here: http://ofpink.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/ ... he-langhe/


Best regards

Stefano

[bystander]

NGC 6872 and IC 4970
http://www.gemini.edu/node/11625
Credit: Sydney Girls High School Astronomy Club, Travis Rector (University of Alaska, Anchorage), Ángel López-Sánchez (Australian Astronomical Observatory/Macquarie University), and the Australian Gemini Office
http://www.gemini.edu/images/pio/20110322_NGC6872.jpg

http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=23265

[owlice]

Orion and Sirius
http://www.universethroughalens.com/
Copyright: Sanjeev Sivarulrasa
[attachment=4]Orion and Sirius 24mm 4minx10 2 March 2011 Sivarulrasa.jpg[/attachment]

Season of Saturn
Copyright: Tunç Tezel

[attachment=3]akyakasaturnspica.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=2]akyakasaturnspicala.jpg[/attachment]

M81: Spiral Galaxy in the Great Bear
http://www.ovision.com/Gilles_Astrophot ... D_M81.html
Copyright: Gilles Cohen

Click to view full size image

Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)
http://www.almaobservatory.org/
Copyright: NRAO/AUI/NSF, Carlos Padilla. Acknowledgement: General Dynamics C4 Systems

[attachment=1]NRAO.jpg[/attachment]

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and its international partners are building the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) on the 16,500 ft elevation of the Chajnantor Plateau in northern Chile. Still under construction, the array will be 66 radio telescopes by 2013.
~ Tania Burchell

The Rose-red Glow of Star Formation
http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1111/
Copyright: ESO

Click to view full size image

http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=23255


Orion Region Mosaic
http://www.universethroughalens.com/
Copyright: Sanjeev Sivarulrasa
[attachment=0]Orion Mosaic 135mm 174 mins 9 Oct 2010 Sivarulrasa.jpg[/attachment]

[amw]

Thanks so much for the lovely Kansas sunset. I grew up in Kansas City, have spent many times visiting farmlands and the towns in Kansas, there is nothing to match the beauty of the Big Skies of the plains.

[elenc]

Galactic Arch
http://www.atnf.csiro.au/people/Emil.Le ... TCA_2.html
Copyright: Emil Lenc

Click to view full size image

[owlice]

Crescent Moon and Jupiter
http://www.astro.uni-koeln.de/~makai
Copyright: Zoltán Makai
[attachment=4]moon_jupiter.jpg[/attachment]

The Solar Eclipse 2006, Kemer, Turkey
http://tau-site.ru/
Copyright: Eugene Kazakow
[attachment=3]eclipse_4_p.jpg[/attachment]

M22: Globular Cluster in Sagittarius
Copyright: Data acquisition, Jim Misti; processing, Louie Atalasidis
[attachment=2]m22-misti.jpg[/attachment]

NGC 5905 and NGC 5908 in Draco
http://www.astronomie-hoefferhof.de/de/galerie/167.html
Copyright: Richard Müller
[attachment=1]NGC5905_THELI_m.jpg[/attachment]

The Light of the Milky Way
http://www.luisargerich.com/night/h1cbf913#h1cbf913
Copyright: Luis Argerich

[attachment=0]s045_img_8812_p.jpg[/attachment]

This image is a 50mpx panorama taken at the Somuncura Plateau, Rio Negro, Argentina. On a moonless night on such a remote location the night is so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face. The photo is lit by the stars and the Milky Way only! The brownish reflection at the lagoon is from the Scorpius/Sagitarius part of the Milky way that was on my back.

The photo shows Orion, the Magellan clouds and part of the Milky Way including the two brightest stars in the sky: Sirius and Canopus. The Tarantula nebula is the bright spot next to the Large Magellan Cloud and the cluster 47 Tucanae is clearly visible next to the Small Magellan Cloud. ~ Luis Argerich

[owlice]

Moonrise Behind the Finsteraarhorn Mountain (Switzerland)
Copyright: Manuel Eggimann
[attachment=2]FullMoonRise.jpg[/attachment]

Tidal tails on the Large Magellanic Cloud
Zoomable: http://www.glitteringlights.com/Images/ ... o38Z-X3-LB
Copyright: Marco Lorenzi
[attachment=1]lmc_haoiiilrgb_2000.jpg[/attachment]

The Radio Glow of Centaurus A
http://www.csiro.au/news/Centaurus-A.html
Copyright: Ilana Feain
[attachment=0]centA.jpg[/attachment]

[rich bowden]

Ngc5078 & Ngc 5101

Click to view full size image

http://www.baytop-observatory.com
Copyright: Rich Bowden
SXVR-H16 F4 Newtonian
Link to hi res image http://www.baytop-observatory.com/ccdim ... tonian.htm

[rich bowden]

Antennae & Ngc4027

Click to view full size image

http://www.baytop-observatory.com
copyright: Rich Bowden
SXVR-H16 F4 Newtonian
Link to hi res image http://www.baytop-observatory.com/ccdim ... 8_4027.htm

[Ann]

Rich Bowden, what a fascinating image! I hadn't realized that the Antennae and distorted starforming galaxy NGC 4027 were neighbours. It is probably not so much the Antennae as the satellite galaxies of NGC 4027 that account for its distorted shape and vigorous star formation, but it is fascinating to consider that the Antennae and NGC 4027 may indeed be interacting. These three galaxies are at comparable distances, between 34 and 40 light-years, and it is fascinating to think that they may indeed be "neighbours in the sky". I love how you bring out the colors of the galaxies, too. My software tells me that NGC 4027 is the bluest of the three galaxies, and that is exactly what it looks like here, too. NGC 4038 is the "second bluest" - check - and NHC 4039 is the least blue. Check!

I like your other galaxy picture, too. In particular, I think NGC 5101 looks fascinating. It looks like a bar surrounded by a ring, which is surrounded by an outer, larger ring, with a lot of fairly empty space in between. Fascinating!

Thanks a lot for your great images, Rich!

Ann

[Ann]

Marco Lorenzi, that's a very beautiful picture of the Large Magellanic Cloud. And it is so nice to see a portrait of the galaxy in its entirety!

Ann

[rich bowden]

Rich Bowden, what a fascinating image! I hadn't realized that the Antennae and distorted starforming galaxy NGC 4027 were neighbours. It is probably not so much the Antennae as the satellite galaxies of NGC 4027 that account for its distorted shape and vigorous star formation, but it is fascinating to consider that the Antennae and NGC 4027 may indeed be interacting. These three galaxies are at comparable distances, between 34 and 40 light-years, and it is fascinating to think that they may indeed be "neighbours in the sky". I love how you bring out the colors of the galaxies, too. My software tells me that NGC 4027 is the bluest of the three galaxies, and that is exactly what it looks like here, too. NGC 4038 is the "second bluest" - check - and NHC 4039 is the least blue. Check!

I like your other galaxy picture, too. In particular, I think NGC 5101 looks fascinating. It looks like a bar surrounded by a ring, which is surrounded by an outer, larger ring, with a lot of fairly empty space in between. Fascinating!

Thanks a lot for your great images, Rich!

Ann

Lovely comments Anne and so nice of you to say!
In another forum I actually had as a title for the Antennae image, 'Galactic cousins', more tongue in cheek than anything. But in a cosmic scale with galaxies, I guess if they're 'only' separated by 30-40 Lyrs away then it is true
The Antennae image is really begging for some Ha to add to it, this would better show the volatility that is occurring with the reformation and interaction.

I do calibrate my optic system to a G2V solar analogue star then add extinction factors to the weights on what average altitude I am imaging my colour channels at. So, I try to reproduce, (dare I say with tongue once more in cheek) 'accurate true colour images'.. this is all theory, but the best we have to work with reproducing images from Earth. (Thanks to Chuck Shaw (ex Nasa), Ed Grafton, Rich Berry and Al Kelly for this insight)

I really like the field with Ngc5078 & 5101, not really for ascetics but more for what they represent. It's really like a laboratory having two lenticular galaxies, one edge on and one face on. But oh soooo different!
While edge on Ngc5078 exhibits a huge amount of dust, gas and galactic building matter, (said to be from the remnants of a spirals interaction with it billions ?? of years prior), but now, tidal forces that the 'S' shaped companion IC879 are exerting on it, pulling the perhaps, already settled core (after the collision) of Ngc5078 apart. And at the same time, IC879 is in a death struggle that you would think it surely can't win!
Then, as you've noted, Ngc5101. Wild morpholgy for sure... and what's even weirder is there is no H & HII matter what so ever, only NII and possible oxygen?.. is it a dead galaxy?? Or is its devoid state the result of a super massive black hole at its core that has stripped it of all stars and left over debris ??.. What are your thoughts....??
Most interesting to speculate especially from my absolute novices stand point....

Thanks once again.
Appreciated
all the best
Rich

[Ann]

Hi, Rich! glad you appreciated my comments!

Let me speculate a bit about NGC 5101 and 5078.

You said about NGC 5101:

is it a dead galaxy?? Or is its devoid state the result of a super massive black hole at its core that has stripped it of all stars and left over debris ??.. What are your thoughts....??

Yes, if you ask me, I'd say that this is a good example of a galaxy that is "red and dead". You can tell that it is by looking at it. Its shape is extremely symmetrical, with no sign of any upheaval anywhere. At least not in the central region, the bar or inner ring, or in the part of the galaxy that is inside the inner ring. This part of the galaxy looks perfectly smooth and "settled", the way you'd expect it to look if nothing has happened there for a long time. And that "nothing" includes star formation!

There is probably a tiny, tiny amount of star formation in the outer ring. Outer rings like this one are typically relatively good at star formation. Well, this ring isn't doing a very good job of it, seriously, but it may have churned out a Regulus - a B7V star - or two. Here is a GALEX image of 5101. GALEX is particularly good at detecting the ultraviolet light from newly formed, hot stars:



The galaxy is so faint in the ultraviolet that you can barely see it in this image. Still, the blue parts of it contain a tiny, tiny amount of star formation.

Does NGC 5101 have a big black hole which has quenched star formation in this galaxy? Yes, I think that is quite possible. There appears to be quite a strong link between the mass of the black hole at the center of a galaxy and the galaxy's rate of star formation: the bigger and more massive the hole, the fewer new stars will be born. The reason for this appears to be that massive black holes are often associated with jets that blow a lot of the star forming gas and dust clear out of a galaxy, and when the gas that falls back onto the galaxy it is either swallowed by the black hole, or else it is kept turbulent, so that it becomes useless for star formation.

My software classifies NGC 5101 as SB0-a. That means that it is midway between a barred lenticular galaxy with no gas, dust or star formation and an Sa-type spiral. Sa spirals have large yellow centers and arms with some, but not a lot of, star formation.

My software classifies NGC 5078, on the other hand, as an Sa spiral. So my software thinks that NGC 5078 has more dust and gas than NGC 5101 and probably also more star formation. I think that may well be true. In most cases, a thick dust lane like the one we see in NGC 5078 will be associated with some star formation. Interestingly, my software tells me that NGC 5078 is more ultraviolet than NGC 5101, which fits in with the idea that NGC 5079 has more star formation than NGC 5101. Admittedly, when I checked out images of NGC 5078 on the net, I couldn't find a single image that showed any obvious sign of star formation anywhere in this galaxy. Actually I think your image is doing the best job of it, because there are brightenings in the dust lane in your image which might be evidence of some star formation.

You also said:

While edge on Ngc5078 exhibits a huge amount of dust, gas and galactic building matter, (said to be from the remnants of a spirals interaction with it billions ?? of years prior), but now, tidal forces that the 'S' shaped companion IC879 are exerting on it, pulling the perhaps, already settled core (after the collision) of Ngc5078 apart. And at the same time, IC879 is in a death struggle that you would think it surely can't win!

You are right that IC879 is doomed!

You are also right that IC879 is creating tidal forces that are pulling at NGC 5078. You are also right, I'm sure, that NGC 5078 has undergone mergers during its many billion year old lifetime. These mergers have undoubtedly made NGC 5078 grow, and they have influenced its spiral shape. I don't think, however, that there is any chance or risk that the nucleus of NGC 5078 will be torn apart, certainly not by a small galaxy like IC 879. In a galaxy as large as NGC 5078, with as little star formation as this one has, chances are that the nucleus of this galaxy contains a really big black hole. You don't tear such objects apart.

You are right that these two galaxies are a fascinating old couple! Imagine, they may have been "married" for a really long time!

Ann

[bystander]

@Ann

Recent Submissions is a place for imagers to post their images and for others to make comments on those images. It is not a place for you to post your speculations. I have left your post here because Rich asked for your thoughts. In the future, if you wish to speculate on the cosmos, start your own thread or blog.

@Rich

It should be noted that Ann is not a professional astronomer or astrophotographer, and, as she noted, her opinions are speculations.